Southekayi hasi sasive (Cucumber in a coconut-mustard sauce)

Lately, I have been posting a lot of Traditional Indian recipes that are quite healthy actually. The reason I am emphasizing on those right now is two fold. Firstly, a lot of these dishes are unknown primarily because of lack of publicity. These recipes are so simple and yet taste unique. So instead of opting for heavy, fancy restaurant style curries to change things up at your dinner table, try out these simple classy dishes that are absolutely delicious, healthy and quick to put together. However, I will continue to post with different grains and twists! And the experimentation will still continue 🙂 The second reason I am posting these recipes is that when I think of healthy comfort food, I am immediately reminded of this food. It is easy to relate to! So those are my two reasons 🙂 And now if you are looking for a classic route to healthier eating, then stay tuned!

This is a simple cucumber salad/side. Traditionally it is eaten with hot rice. It is a no cook recipe and can be put together in minutes. Here cucumbers are mixed with a mildly spicy coconut mustard mixture. (I have used very little coconut 🙂 To get a more authentic taste you can increase the amount of coconut! ) This tastes absolutely delicious! I normally use cucumbers a lot and this recipe is a wonderful change from the usual salads!

Ingredients

2 medium sized cucumber

1 tbsp coconut grated

1 tsp urad dal

1 1/2 tsp mustard seeds divided

3-4 dried red chilies or to taste

1 tsp tamarind concentrate (if you are using actual tamarind use about a small lemon sized piece directly)

1 tsp oil

a pinch of asafoetida (hing)

a few curry leaves (optional)

Salt to taste

Preparation Time: 0 min

Cooking Time: 5 min

Servings: 2-3

Method

Wash and peel the cucumber. Chop into bite sized pieces and place them in a mixing bowl.

In a small saucepan, dry roast the urad dal. Don’t let it burn, just roast till it starts changing color. Let it cool.

Once the dal is cool, add it to a blender. Add the tamarind pulp, 1 tsp mustard seeds, coconut, and salt to the blender too. Blend to get a smooth paste. In case you need more volume to make your blender work smoothly, just add a few cucumber pieces too!

Add the ground paste to the chopped cucumber.

To season the dish, take 1 tsp oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot, add the other 1/2 tsp mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add the curry leaves and asafoetida and saute for a few seconds. Turn off the heat. Then add the seasoning to the cucumber mix.

Let the cucumber side sit for 5 to 10 minutes to absorb all the flavors. Serve with hot rice or as a salad.